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Taking a shot into the rocks

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Diver MC

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Jun 16, 2014
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I'm brand new to spearfishing and had a question about taking a shot into the rocks. Watching shows it seems like there is little regard to shooting into the rocks at close ranges. I'm concerned about bending a spear my first time out before I figure things out. Is there any general rules about shooting into the rocks? For example if the rocks are 5 feet away can I take the shot? I know it makes a huge difference if you hit or miss the fish. Most of the fish that I've come across while abalone diving have been in or on rocks. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
If you're ab diving, then I think a lot of the fish in that area (ling cod, cabezon, etc.) require shot into the rocks. There isn't much you can do about it. Just use cheap flopper shafts rather than expensive slip tips, and don't use guns that are longer and more powerful than necessary. And if your gun has two bands, consider unloading a band if you are at close range. After you get some experience with the gun, you will get a feel for how much power is necessary.

You're still going to dull a lot of shaft tips, but that's what files or bench grinders are for.
 
You might want to consider using a short, low powered speargun. Sometimes sold as "cave guns", often equipped with multi-prong spears (which reduce speed & penetration & tend to immobilize speared fish - although it might be best to avoid the plastic variety - see below - if you expect to hit rocks). You can also reduce the power of a speargun in several ways, for example: loading to the forward notch on a doubly notched spear, only loading one band on a 2 band speargun, using a less powerful rubber (e.g. 14mm), not extending your arm towards the fish/rock so much (to increase range), reducing the pressure in a pneumatic speargun, etc..

cayman_cave_adi2.jpg

http://www.subprof.com/tienda/product_info.php?products_id=53092128&language=en&nom=OMER CAYMAN CAVE SPEARGUN 65CM
The Omer Comanche Cave speargun above is available in sizes 45, 55, 65 & 75cm.

Some makers (e.g. Rob Allen) will custom make a speargun/railgun with a shorter than normal barrel, spear and rubbers if requested. I believe they have made RA railguns down to 50cm, although 70cm is their normal minimum. The Cressi Comanche is available with a 60cm barrel & the Beuchat Rascasse is available with a very short barrels, for example 30cm & 50cm:

http://www.fundive.fi/varustemyynti/product_info.php?products_id=51
http://www.ocean-sports.co.uk/Product/?id=53&l=SPEARGUNS BEUCHAT RASCASSE SPEARGUN 500
nouvel-harpon-beuchat.jpg

http://www.corbusmilchasse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5093
 
Depends on the power and length of you speargun and the number of bands, If you are shooting at a short distances, load only a single band, your shaft will not bend, the problem would be more simple, it might get stuck and you won't be able to take it off.

I have shot a grouper in a cave with one band set up on the 3rd notch and it drilled through the cave, I had to use my legs to push off the cave while holding my spear to get it back.
 
As a beginner I've got the same problem and lost good size fishes just beeing indecided if to take the shot or not. I was thinking that damageing my spear it will ruin my fishing day.
Than I bought 2 more shafts and I've took one with me, attached on my buoy. And also a small sharpening tool. I star testing, see what's happened.
Finally, I've lost a few shafts but i've got the expirience needed and it's a very small price to pay for ones of the greatest expiriences that I've lived.
 
I'm brand new to spearfishing and had a question about taking a shot into the rocks. Watching shows it seems like there is little regard to shooting into the rocks at close ranges. I'm concerned about bending a spear my first time out before I figure things out. Is there any general rules about shooting into the rocks? For example if the rocks are 5 feet away can I take the shot? I know it makes a huge difference if you hit or miss the fish. Most of the fish that I've come across while abalone diving have been in or on rocks. Any advice would be appreciated.

Hi...........Shooting towards rocks and reef can pose great difficulty for you and equipment. There are several ways of preventing damage to your spears or getting stuck. First off..the easier way is to position yourself to such a advantage spot where you would shoot past or in a upwards line trying to miss the rocks behind the fish.
Secondly if there is no other way you can "muscle/ damp" your rubber bands by grasping the one hand over the barrel grabbing the rubber bands and then sort of powering your shot down.
Or alternatively with good calculations tying tour spearline down onto your speargun head..leaving just enough line / spear included to penetrate your target and stop just with enough pace to have the spearhead and barb/s opening on other side of fish.
But you will have to control the "shock/jerk" of the spear.
All of these help a lot shooting inside caves and crevasses as well.
Hope this answers your question somehow.
 
As Mr. X said short guns are better, and not overpowering them. the problem with cheaping it on the shafts is that most of the cheaper ones will bend easier, so it's a bit of a problem. I have never bent a shaft shooting into rocks but ultimately its risk management.
 
I've seen videos of people firing 120cm roller guns directly into rocks from almost point blank range with no ill effect...



I'm guessing that you'll be fine!
 
was reading this thread since before I got back into spearfishing couple months ago. My spear gun is Cressi SL Star, pneumatic gun with original shaft and original tip. Tip is rather soft and I was dulling it from the first shot on every outing. I am fishing mostly rock fish, greenlings and lately lingcod. Sometimes I almost completely flatten up the tip. But the steel being so soft makes it easy to sharpen, 1 minute work with flat file and it is good to go again. I am beginning to think that maybe softer steel is actually way to go as it reduces the load on the shaft, and there is no risk to fracture it. Also, soft tips for this shaft are the cheapest ones to buy, 10$ give or take, and once it is filed too many times and get too short I will just replace it. I am still very new to spear fishing, so take it for what it worth :).
 
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Or alternatively with good calculations tying tour spearline down onto your speargun head..leaving just enough line / spear included to penetrate your target and stop just with enough pace to have the spearhead and barb/s opening on other side of fish.
But you will have to control the "shock/jerk" of the spear.
.

When I was spearing the fish in Black Sea some 30 years ago, thinking the same thing I shortened the spear line once with catastrophic results. Shaft hit the end of the line, sprung back by the line and penetrated my mask. Luckily I didn't get it into my eye. Mask did not fracture but rather had neat round hole, and some small fragments ended in my right eye. I remember me seeing the mask slowly filling up with water and shaft still sticking out from it. It all ended up harmlessly, I removed the mask, and with my eyes open I shook my head to wash away glass pieces and ascended to surface. At that time I lost track of my spear gun and never recovered it. It was pneumatic but it didn't float and I did not have spare mask with me. So, moral of this story is, maybe letting it fly out is better, considering the risk, what do you think?
 
Yikes! Andrew, hopefully your post will help others avoid doing the same thing.

Re. filing spears. For ice-climbing, there is a similar issue with ice axe picks & crampon front points. I keep two mill b@stard files: 1 medium & 1 small (as recommended by US ice ace, Jeff Lowe). Size is important for mill b@stard files* as their coarseness is related/proportional to their size - a large one would be too coarse & remove too much metal. The medium size one is kept in the crampon bag, the small one is carried on climbs.

*Our dear old friend, the late OldManDave (a highly experienced - and highly qualified - design/technology teacher) did question the use of Mill B@stard files for this purpose, suggesting that a finer file (e.g. second cut) might be more appropriate. The use of smaller file sizes goes someway to addressing that concern.

I rarely sharpen spears. When I do sharpen them, these days I tend to use a small wet grinding wheel, 240 grit, briefly.
 
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